kitchen aid fridge cooling and compressor is really hot!

Hello. My kitchen aid fridge stopped cooling a while back. So I replaced the relay and overload that sits on the compressor. When I changed them I noticed a burn mark where the relay sat like it shorted out or something. After changing that stuff the compressor comes on and the fan comes on. I ran it for like a half hour and the thermometer i put in the freezer said 10 degrees. But I shut it off for two reasons, 1) the evap coil started icing up, and 2) the compressor was about to burn my hand if I touched it any longer.

Now the condenser coil is a LITTLE bit dirty but nothing major. And I know the compressor on a fridge is supposed to be hot but HOLY CRAP! Now this compressor appears to me to be an aftermarket compressor cause for a 13 year old fridge the label is brand new, and the overload and relay I bought were OEM and they were different than the existing ones. That tells me someone else worked on it and I wonder if they put in the right compressor.

Also... How the HECK is that tiny little fan that's way far away from the coil gonna be good enough to get the heat transfer out of the refrigerant? I don't even know if its spinning in the right direction? Does that cardboard cover on the back need to be there in order to get the air to move across the coil?

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Sounds normal to me. Compressors typically get too hot hold your hand on and ice will form on an evaporator for a freezer/fridge. If it was running with parts still removed you may have defeated the designed air flow on either or both sides.

Sounds normal to me. Compressors typically get too hot hold your hand on and ice will form on an evaporator for a freezer/fridge. If it was running with parts still removed you may have defeated the designed air flow on either or both sides.

So you're saying that its normal for the evap coil to frost up on a fridge???

So you're saying that its normal for the evap coil to frost up on a fridge???

Absolutely. That is why there is a defrosting cycle. If it was just a cooler with no freezer compartment then the EC would not be operated that cold and frost would be a sign of trouble. But the freezer compartment needs to be 10 degrees so the EC must be run well below freezing and frost is only a sign of humidity, not trouble.

Absolutely. That is why there is a defrosting cycle. If it was just a cooler with no freezer compartment then the EC would not be operated that cold and frost would be a sign of trouble. But the freezer compartment needs to be 10 degrees so the EC must be run well below freezing and frost is only a sign of humidity, not trouble.

... DUH I keep forgetting about the defrost cycle... That's makes sense. But what about the compressor burning my hand? I know its supposed to be hot but this one seems too hot, I dunno... And there is no RLA on the label. It only shows LRA for some reason

If the compressor is getting hot beyond what it should the thermal cut out will trip. That is if it is installed properly. If it is there and the spring holds it firmly against the shell then it is operating within its range.

The relay on the bottom right supposedly is the OEM relay for that fridge, which is different from the other one. I got it from easyapplianceparts.com so I gotta call whirlpool and double check because I think that's an aftermarket compressor.

replace the cardboard back(for proper airflow), let the refrig run for a couple of hours. If the freezer gets below 0 it is unlikely you have any type of compressor problem. As Polecat mentioned the overload will kick the compressor off if it gets too hot or draws excessive amperage.

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WTF! It started right up last time when I changed the parts... And nothing's changed, not even the extension cord, except I put the cardboard back on, and the compressor won't start... It doesn't even make a noise like last time, but the extension cord is my droplight and the light dims for a while, then there is a click, and the light gets bright again... I'm gonna ohm it out or I won't be able to sleep tonight...